Portraits of Cornelius Duplicius de Scheppere and his wife Elizabeth Donche, circa 1540 by Ambrosius Benson ::

Details

Date

circa 1540

Media category

Painting

Materials used

diptych: oil on panel

Dimensions

30.1 x 54.0 cm overall :

a - portrait of Cornelius Duplicius de Scheppere, 21.6 x 18.5 cm, sight

a - portrait of Cornelius Duplicius de Scheppere, 30.1 x 27 cm, panel

b - portait of Elizabeth Donche, 21.2 x 18.6 cm, sight

b - portait of Elizabeth Donche, 30.1 x 27 cm, panel

Signature & date

Not signed. Not dated.

Credit

Gift of James Fairfax AC 1994

Location

South Building, ground level, Grand Courts

Accession number

301.1994.a-b

Copyright

Reproduction requests

Artist information

Ambrosius Benson

Works in the collection

1

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About

Ambrosius Benson was an Italian painter who went to
study and work in 16th-century Bruges. As a result, his
works are a unique fusion of Netherlandish and Italian
Renaissance styles.

In these immaculately preserved pendant portraits, the
sitters seem as alert to their own interior imaginings as
to any dialogue with each other or the external world.
The coats of arms on the backs of the panels identify
the sitters as Cornelius de Scheppere, an important
scholar and diplomat who travelled extensively in
the service of King Christian II of Denmark and later
for Emperor Charles V, and his first wife, Elizabeth
Donche. The present frame is modern, but the
portraits may have been similarly mounted as a hinged
diptych for ease of storage, transport and display.

Exhibition history

Shown in 7 exhibitions

Loan exhibition of Flemish primitives in aid of the Free Milk Fund for Babies, Inc., Kleinberger Galleries, New York, 1929–1929
The James Fairfax collection of old masters, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 25 Apr 1992–14 Jun 1992
Bruges and the Renaissance: Memling to Pourbus, Memling Museum - Old Saint John's Hospital, Bruges, 15 Aug 1998–06 Dec 1998
The James Fairfax collection of old master paintings, drawings and prints, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 17 Apr 2003–20 Jul 2003
Prayers and portraits: unfolding the Netherlandish diptych, National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C., 12 Nov 2006–04 Feb 2007
Archie Plus, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 26 Sep 2020–07 Mar 2021
Grand Courts collection rehang, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, Nov 2021–2023

Bibliography

Referenced in 20 publications

Art Gallery of New South Wales, Art Gallery of New South Wales Annual Report 1994, Sydney, 1994, 44.
Art Gallery of New South Wales, The James Fairfax collection of old masters, Sydney, 1992. no catalogue numbers
Jerzy Axer and Anna Skolimowska (Editors), Corpus Epistularum Ioannis Dantisci. Part II Amicorum Sermones Mutui. Volume 2 Ionnes Dantiscus' correspondence with Cornelis De Schepper, Warsaw, 2015, p 9, col illus p [3, after title page]. illustration of Cornelius Duplicius de Scheppere only.
Richard Beresford and Peter Raissis, The James Fairfax collection of old master paintings, drawings and prints, Sydney, 2003, 22-23 (colour illus.), 24 (colour illus.), 25-27, 27 (illus.). cat.no. 4, fig.4.5
Cornelis Hofstede de Groot, Vente, collection importante, tableaux et sculptures des XVe, XVIe et XVIIE siècles, appartenant à un amateur, The Hague, 10 Jun 1924, 29, (illus.). cat.no. 1
Pieter Donche, Historians of Netherlandish Art Newsletter, 'Search for lost portraits', Unknown, Nov 1997, 5 (illus.), 6 (illus.). figures 5, 6 and 7. Illustration on page 6 is of Elizabeth Donche
Dover Street Gallery, London, Dover Street Gallery catalogue, London, circa 1990, (colour illus.). illustration of both panels, no pagination
Angelica Dülberg, Privatporträts: Geschichte und Ikonologie einer Gattung im 15. und 16. Jahrhundert, Berlin, 1990, 183. nos.20 and 21, figs. 395-6
Max J. Friedlander, Early Netherlandish Painting, Volume XI, Leiden, 1974, 101 (illus.). no. 295, pl.182
Max J. Friedlander, Die altniederländische Malerei, Berlin, 1924-1937, vol.11, 1933: 147. no. 295
Max J. Friedlander, Jahrbuch der Königlich Preuszischen Kunstsammlungen [vol.XXXI], 'Ambrosius Benson als Bildnismaler', pg.139-48, Berlin, 1910, 144-7. figs. 6 and 7
John Oliver Hand, Catherine A. Metzger and Ron Spronk, Prayers and portraits: unfolding the Netherlandish diptych, 2006, 36, 37 (illus.), 38-39 (colour illus.). cat.no.2
Bruce James, Art Gallery of New South Wales handbook, 'Western Collection: Paintings and Sculpture', pg. 17-77, Sydney, 1999, 20 (colour illus.).
Georges Marlier, Ambrosius Benson et la peinture à Bruges au temps de Charles-Quint, Belgium, 1957, 254-256, 319. pl. LXXIII, no. 141
Maximiliaan Martens (Art Editor), Bruges and the Renaissance: Memling to Pourbus, Belgium, 1998, vol.1, 144, note 4, 157 (illus.); vol.2, 95 (illus.). cat.no. 64A-B
Emile Molinier, Collection du baron Albert Oppenheim, tableaux et objets d'art, Paris, 1904, 7-8 (illus.). nos.19 and 20, pls.16 and 17, as Hans Holbein the younger
Salomon Reinach, Répertoire de peintures du moyen âge et de la Renaissance (1280-1580), Paris, 1905-1923, vol. 5, 1922: 170 (illus.), 204 (illus.). nos.2 and 3
Rudolph Lepke's Kunst-Auctions-Haus, Collection Baron Albert Oppenheim Cöln, Berlin, 19 Mar 1918, 21 (illus.), 22 (illus.). nos.1 and 2, as 'Hans Holbein d.j. oder Ambrosius Benson'.
Louis Sicking, Neptune and the Netherlands, Leiden, 2004, (colour illus.). pl. 3, illustration of Cornelius Duplicius de Scheppere only
Harry G. Sperling, Catalogue of a loan exhibition of Flemish primitives in aid of the Free Milk Fund, New York, 1929, 188, 189 (illus.), 190, 191 (illus.). cat.nos. 63 and 64

Provenance

Baron Albert von Oppenheim, circa 1898-19 Mar 1918, Cologne/North Rhine-Westphalia/Germany, as Hans Holbein the younger

Rudolph Lepke's Kunst-Auctions-Haus, 19 Mar 1918, Berlin/Germany, Oppenheim sale, announced for 27 October 1914 but postponed until 19 March 1918, nos.1 and 2, reproduced in catalogue as 'Hans Holbein d.j. oder Ambrosius Benson'.

Koninklijke Kunstzaal Kleykamp, 10 Jun 1924, The Hague/The Netherlands, anon. (Kirchner) sale, lot no.1 as by Benson

Ralph Harman Booth, 1929-1931, Detroit/Michigan/United States of America, by 1929, Exhibited in 'Flemish primitives' Kleinberger Galleries, New York 1929, nos. 63 and 64 - lent by Ralph H. Booth, Esq.

Mary Booth, 1931-1951, Detroit/Michigan/United States of America, Mrs Ralph Harman Booth

Booth Family Collection, 1951-1988, Detroit/Michigan/United States of America, by descent to a granddaughter of Ralph and Mary Booth by 1957, remaining in her collection until 1988 when Robert Holden Ltd, London was asked to sell the paintings.

Dover Street Gallery, London, 1988-Jul 1989, London/England, Purchased by David Fyfe-Jamieson, Dover Street Gallery, through Robert Holden Ltd, London 1988. Sold to James Fairfax, July 1989 through Consultart, A.G., Geneva

James Oswald Fairfax AC, Jul 1989-30 Jun 1994, Bowral/New South Wales/Australia, Gift of James Fairfax 1994. Purchased by James Fairfax 1989 through Consultart, A.G., Geneva.